Gilbert Baker (June 2, 1951 – March 31, 2017) was an openly gay American artist and civil rights activist who designed the rainbow flag in 1978. Baker’s flag became widely associated with LGBT rights causes, a symbol of pride that became ubiquitous in the decades since its debut.

The colors on the Rainbow Flag reflect the diversity of the LGBT community.

When Baker raised the first rainbow flags at San Francisco Pride (his group raised two flags at the Civic Center) on June 25, 1978, it had eight colors, each with a symbolic meaning: